Organoboronic acids/esters as effective drug and prodrug candidates in cancer treatments: challenge and hope

Abstract

Boronic acids/esters have recently emerged in the field of medicinal and pharmaceutical research due to their exceptional oxophilicity, low toxicity, and unique structure. They are known as potent enzyme inhibitors, cancer therapy capture agents, and can mimic certain types of antibodies to fight infections. They have been designed and developed into drugs, and this approach has emerged in the last 20 years. Five boronic acid drugs have been approved by the FDA and Health Canada, two of which are used to treat cancer, specifically multiple myeloma. The purpose of this review is to investigate boronic acid/ester derivatives as potential pharmaceutical agents as well as the mechanism of action. It will concentrate on six types of cancer: multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer. Some newly developed boron-containing compounds have already demonstrated highly promising activities, but further investigation is required before final conclusions can be drawn.

A Case of Unusual Cocrystal Polymorphs of Caffeine and Phenylboronic Acid: Cambridge Structural Database Tools in Action

“…On the other hand, phenylboronic acids, considered as a bioisostere of carboxylic acids, also seem to be a good choice of coformer. This class of compounds usually has a low toxicological profile and is being extensively studied for use in oncology, antiviral, antibacterial, and diabetic therapy. , However, due to the low energy barrier (5–15 kJ/mol) between three conformations of the B­(OH) 2 moiety ( syn - anti , syn - syn , and anti - anti ), their utility in cocrystal design and prediction has been questioned . Therefore, the further questions, being a core of this contribution, are will they cocrystallize, what will be their preferential supramolecular synthon, and finally, how much can we learn from the CSD?…”

Boronic Acids and Beyond: ROS-Responsive Prodrugs as Tools for a Safer and More Effective Cancer Chemotherapy

“…A recent review has also been published that describes the use of boronic acids in the treatment of cancer, including their use as ROS-responsive prodrugs. 17 That review, which is organized primarily by the type of cancer and available boronated therapeutic options, is particularly focused on their biological properties including, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Differently, this review will discuss the different classes of ROS-responsive moieties that have been developed, placing the focus on the activation mechanism of the prodrug by ROS and the release of the active drug, as well as discussing the advantages and limitations of each methodology.…”